Jimmy John's Workers Illegally Fired for Demanding Sick Days

MINNEAPOLIS - www.JimmyJohnsWorkers.org - In an effort to silence employees who have blown the whistle on serious food safety hazards at Jimmy John's, the company fired six workers March 22, 2011 for putting up posters demanding the right to call in sick and paid sick days in order to avoid exposing customers to infection. Under current policy, Jimmy John's workers are disciplined for calling in sick if they cannot find a replacement, forcing many workers to make sandwiches while ill.

"It just isn't safe -- customers are getting their sandwiches made by people with the flu, and they have no idea," said Mica Buckley-Farlee, one of the fired workers, "and now we're getting fired for blowing the whistle on this disgusting practice. Rather than safeguard public health and do the right thing for their employees and their customers, Jimmy John's owners Mike and Rob Mulligan are trying to silence us. These illegal and offensive firings will not stand."

In addition to the threat of discipline for calling in sick, many workers are unable to afford to take a day off if they are ill because wages at the sandwich chain hover around the federal minimum of $7.25 and the company offers no benefits. The result of these pressures is that sandwich-makers often have to work while sick, creating an enormous public health risk.

This is the poster the workers hung in downtown Minneapolis demanding the right to sick days: http://twincities.indymedia.org/files/jjsickday.jpg

The risky anti-union firings at Jimmy John's could easily backfire on
the company. Firing workers in retaliation for organizing activity is
expressly forbidden by the National Labor Relations Act. The IWW Jimmy
John's Workers Union will file charges with the National Labor
Relations Board today seeking reinstatement of all fired workers.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• jimmy johns
• jommy john's
• union
• organizing
• IWW
• uptown minneapolis
• downtown minneapolis
• twin cities IWW
• rob mulligan
• mike mulligan
• fast food
• fast food union
• minneapolis
• twin cities
• sandwiches
• franchise
• NLRB
• illegal firing
• posters
• sick days
• public health
• national labor relations act

[1populist]

These are the labor heroes of the post industrial era in American history.

[SocialistaTribalista]

@Optimizedude18

Actually the NLRB sided with them and they all got their jobs back with back pay :)

[MrBoogerhook]

Jimmy Johns union? Now that some funny shit!

[SocialistaTribalista]

@frickface1

I can't think of anything more grown up then standing up to management and forming a union, I can't think of anything whimpier then taking whatever table scraps they offer you like 1 hour shifts and working while sick (which was proven in court btw)

[SocialistaTribalista]

@Lou0298

The lack of knowledge about organizing amuses me.

There is no money in organizing fast food, thats why no AFL-CIO or CtW unions ever try, high turnover etc., the IWW organizes fast food out of principal.

secondly the IWW is a completely democratic member run union, all dues money is accounted for and known to all members, who operate every local themselves. The union is voluntary membership and so are dues payments(instant dues check-off is constitutionally banned).

[SocialistaTribalista]

@TheFleaParty

you mean the workers who make the products and do all the work the owner leaches off of, ya, your right they should get all the wealth that come from being a worker and democratically own and operate the means of production as a cooperative rather then for a parasite boss. But until the day we can fire the bosses, we'll settle for making management treat its workers more fairly as they pay for their education and feed their families.

IWW i.u. 610 from East LA and proud.

[SocialistaTribalista]

@chrisd9105

College students are the largest growing group filing for bankruptcy, degrees are now costing upwards of $60,000 and student debt above $120,000. Fast food is among the most profitable and least unionized sectors in America, and also the ones paying the least.

I can't wait for the IWW to organize your franchise, and if you close shop I can't wait for them to take it over and run it as a cooperative.

fire the bosses.

[SocialistaTribalista]

@chrisd9105

you'd close the door? your so greedy that you'd rather lay off workers and not make a PROFIT then treat your employee's slightly better? I love your value system, self destructive and nihilistic.

How about they might very well be getting an education and need a job to pay it off. Industry jobs are going to China because of the slave labor over (since unions are illegal there) there so service sector jobs are the Mills and factories of today's globalized world.

[subject1010]

get a life dude its a fast food job lol

[KillEveryoneKillPhil]

2 things you have those stupid things in your ears and you speak like a pussy when you dealt with managment where is the passion and determination in your voice?? you sound like a wimpy faggot However at least you had the balls....im conflicted as to weither i want to thumbs up this video or thumbs it down on one side i agree with you on the other those ear pieces make me absolutely sick if you want ppl to respect you speak loud confordent and and those stupid fucking ear fucking things out ffs

[justtim100]

lol now i got sick a jimmy johns due to a sick worker and all they offer me is 2000 bucks and pay my own bill